Process of making hollow metallic balls.



J. W.- SGHATZ,

PROCESS OF MAKING HOLLOW METALI IG BALLS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 25, 1909. 955,698. Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

v ina'irnn STATES PATENT curios.

JOHN SCI-IATZ, F CHAPPAQUA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HERMANAHSCHATZ, OF GHAPPAQUA, NEW YORK.

Application filed May 25, 1909. Serial No. 498,351;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

blank shown in Fig. 4. Thereupon a closing it known that I, JonN \V.Soim'rz, a die is brought down upon the upwardly precitizen ortheUnited' States,-aiid a resident sented edges 3, 3, .of the trimmedblank, of Chappaqua, county of lVestchester, State whereby they areupset inwardly as indi- 'of New York, have invented a new and useratedby dotted lines 4, et, whereby the em fu l Method or Process of MakingHollow blank is caused to assume an elongated spher- Metall c Balls, ofwhich the following is a ical shape there being also an irregularly vspecificat on, reference being had to the acshaped hole 5, left in itbecause the edges of companylng drawings, in, which-- the metal have notquite met. 'lhereupon '10 I Figure 1 illustrates a plan view of the theblank, now in the shape of a somewhat a5 metallic disk or blank fromwhich the ball elongated ball, is subjected to the action of i is made;Fig. 2 illustrates an edgewise View a reaming tool of suitableconstruction, of that which is shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 whereby the hole5 is cut out smoothly to illustrates a sectional View of the blank atthe desired size, as shown in Fig. (3. l' the' end of the first formingoperation; Fig. A metallic plug, shown at (S in Fig. 7 7c 4: illustratesa sectionalview of the blank at which may be made of the same metal asthe end of the second forming operation; that composing the blank, or ofother metal Fig.5 illustrates a sectional view of the blank ifpreferred, and which has the desired after it has been'triinmed todimension, sliowlength and is of such diamete as to fit the Lingthethird operation; Fig. 6 illustrates a hole 5 somewhat snugly, is thenintroduced 7 plan View of the blank after it has been given through thehole, occupying substantially the i the general form of a sphere, thehole therein position shown in Fig. 7, with its upper having been reamedout to dimension; Fig. edge resting in the lower part of the hole 5, I 7illustrates a sectional view of the blank but before introducing theplug, I pass .25 taken. through-the center of the hole seen in throughthe hole into the interior of the ball Fig. (i and showing thereinforcing and holethe desired amount of some suitable solder-.closiiig plug and also the soldering and galing and galvanizing ormetal-coating inag vanizing material. Fig. 8 illustrates that terial, 9,(see Figs. 7 and S) such as zinc,

I which is shown in Fig. 7, the final swaging spelter, or the like,together with a suitable 30 ;op eration having taken place and thegalflux, such as borax. 'lhereupon the ball is vanizing material inplace ready to be meltplaced between suitable swaging dies in such ed;Fig.0 illustrates a completed. ball; Fig. position that they will swagethe ball into 10. illustrates a detail of special construction. moreaccurate spherical form and will also U My new method or pi'oce ss'is asfollows forcibly impress the metal at the edges of 1 represents a diskof metal from which the the hole 5 upon and intothe shoulder 7, as

'j' ball is to be made and of the desired thickshown in Fig. 8, thusfirmly and rigidly i'iess. It may be steel, brass, copper, alumiholdingthe plug in position. I sometimes num,orany other suitable metal. It isfirst make a slightly projecting point on the put upon a suitableforming die with which lower edge of the plug, as shown at 8, (see 0ahalf round punch or former cooperates, Fig. 8) which under the pressureof the l and is pressed into the shapeshown in Fig. swaging dies will beforced into the metal I It is then taken from that die and subof theball against which the point rests, jected to the operation of anotherdie and thus aiding in securely holding in posiplunger, by which it isgiven the form shown tion. This, however, will not ordinarily be in Fig.4:; that is to say, its lower part is necessary, because the galvanizingabout to llitltlc substantially semi-spherical and its be described willusually rigidly solder the sides are drawnupwardly into substantial plugin position. After these operat ons parallelism with each other. Afterthis the have been perforinedthe ball is put into at upper edges of the.blank are out off to the suitable furnace and is heated so as to melt 50size required for the subsequent operations, the galvanizing andsoldering material, the leaving the blank iii the i'orm shown in Fig.ball being rotated while heated, so that its 5. It is then put upon adie, represented at entire interior surface, including the surface 2 inFig. 5, which has a semi-spherical cavity of the plug, shall becomethoroughly galin its uppersurface, coinciding with theseinivanized.'lhei'eatter the heating may be 55 spherical shape and size of thebottom of the regulated so as to properly temper the ball,

45 are used as valves.

if it be made of such metal as will permitsuch result. Thereupon itground or otherwise finished on its outer surl'ace in any of the usualways.

In the manufacture of balls for certain uses, as for example when usedormunents on furniture, or otherwise, instead of inserting the plug asdescribed, I sometimes thread the hole 5 after it has been duly reamed,

10 as shown in Fig. 10, so that the ball may be screwed upon a suitablythreaded spindle forming part of the structure to be orna mented. Also aplug to close the hole may be threaded or riveted therein, withoutextending across the interior of the ball.

It will be obvious to those who are familiar with such matters that itwill not in all cases be necessary to submit the metal to the number offorming or swaging operations described by me and in some instances itmay be nece sary to submit them to more such operations; this willdepend upon the size of the ball and the tl'iickness and charactor ofthe metal employed. It is also obvious that it will not be necessary inall cases that the plug 6 be provided with the shoulder 7 as shown. Theplug may be of any preferred shape; its outer end may be merely beveledoff or made in the form of a trunrated cone, or left in cylindricalshape. Also it will not always be necessary to galvanize the interior ofthe ball, but I much prefer so to do, in order that the plug may be nrre rigidly held in place, and all joints between it and the ball besealed and also as a pre- Lservative against rust or corrosion.

' The invention secures a series of important advantages, among them thefollowing: reduction in cost as (SOIl'iPtllQtl with solid 40 balls. Thestrength is increased, yet the thereof, and as a stay bolt it otherwise.applied, because the ends of the plug are rigidly connected at its endsto the interior sides of the ball.

Under my process I can make hollow balls in practically all sizes from.a diameter of a quarter of an inclror less, up to vseveral inches.Indeed theoretically the size may be anything desired, although as a.practical matter there axe limits within which the invention is useful.The halls are adapted G0 to a great variety of uses in various arts,such as anti-friction balls, casters, balls for valves, balls forornaments, and many other uses.

I claim: :1. The method described consisting int pressing a disk ofmetal by successive forming operations into the general shape of asphere having a hole in one side, introducing suitable solderingmaterial into the interior of the sphere, inserting a plug in the holeand subjecting the article to the action of heat.

2. The method described consisting in dressing a disk of metal bysuccessive forming operations into the general shape of a sphere havinga hole in one side, introducing suitable soldering material into theinterior of the sphere, inserting a plug in the hole, then additionallypressing the article into more accurate spherical sha and upon and aboutthe plug and then subjecting the article to the action of heat.

3. The method described consisting in pressing a disk of metal bysuccessive form ing operations into the general shape of a spherehaving'a hole in one side. introducing suitable soldering material intothe interior of the sphere, inserting a plug of such length as to extendacross the interior of the sphere in the hole, then additionallypressing the article into more accurate spherical shape and upon andabout the plug and then subjecting the article to the action of heat.

4. The method described consisting in pressing a disk of metal bysuccessive forming operations into the general shape of a sphere havinga hole in one side, reaming the hole to dimension, then introducingsuitable soldering material into the sphere, then inserting a shoulderedplug having sufficient length to reach across the interior of the spherein the hole, then additionally pressing the article into more accuratespherical shape and upon and about the shoulder on the plug and thensubjecting the article to the action of heat.

5. The method described consisting in pressing a disk of metal bysuccessive forming operations into the form of a sphere having a hole inone side, then introducing suitable soldering material, then pluggingthe hole and then submitting the article to the action of heat.

6. The method described consisting in pressing metal by successivefori'ning operations into a general spherical form leaving a hole in oneside, inserting a plug in the hole long enough to extend acmss theinterior of the sphere and then additionally pressing the article intomore accurate spherical Form and closing the hole over and upon the endof the plug.

In testimony whercot I have signed my name to this sperzifieation in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN W. SCYIATY.

Witnesses? GEO. W. HAIun'r, J12,

A near Sorm'rz.

